Maine South football wants 'swagger back'

A shrill whistle at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday marked the beginning of Maine South's quest for a fourth football state championship in six seasons.

Coach David Inserra implored his team to "restore the soar," a reference to the Hawks' championship three-peat from 2008-2010.

"We want to get the swagger back," senior lineman Greg Ebacher said. "The last two years we haven't finished as well as we would have liked to, as high as our standards are. We believe we can get back there, and we will get back there and win the state title."

Reminders of the Hawks' past conquests dot the practice field and weight room at the Park Ridge high school. Several players wore shirts listing the five years the team won a state title. The team watches highlight reels from years past to keep the memories fresh.

"When they were in seventh grade, eighth grade, freshman year, those most impressionable years, they saw Maine South win state championships," Inserra said. "They fully want to be a part of it."

The drills on a mild mid-August afternoon resembled those that other teams undoubtedly practiced across the state. Like most other teams, the Hawks ran perfect routes and botched handoffs. The players' energy at Wilson Field hinted at their desire to work through early mistakes to refine the on-field product for another playoff run.

"The team feels a lot closer than we were last year, and we're a lot more enthusiastic," senior linebacker Jack Perez said. "It's not forced enthusiasm, it's real enthusiasm. We want to be here, to go win state."

Senior Alec Basso and sophomore Brian Collis split snaps with the offense, with Basso taking the first reps as signal-caller. Maine South has experience and depth at most positions, but replacing star quarterback Matt Alviti, now at Northwestern, might be its toughest task.

Inserra said both quarterbacks will take snaps, similar to how Alviti split reps as a sophomore in 2010 — the last time the Hawks won the title.

"Both of them offer some special things, and both of them can get the job done," Inserra said.